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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22814575">Treasure Boy</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/JuxtaposeFantasy/pseuds/JuxtaposeFantasy'>JuxtaposeFantasy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Chinese Actor RPF, 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV) RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Angst, Big star! Xiao Zhan, Insecure! Yibo, M/M, Slight OOC, Yibo and Xiao Zhan are both a mess</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 11:07:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,690</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22814575</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/JuxtaposeFantasy/pseuds/JuxtaposeFantasy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Xiao Zhan, Asia’s Most Handsome Man, seduces the socially awkward assistant host of a TV variety show.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Wang Yi Bo/Xiao Zhan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>67</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>541</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Treasure Boy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This story is a bit weird but I wanted to explore the impression I get sometimes from Yibo that he's aware he's a star but doesn't actually feel it. It's an odd obliviousness that shows up occasionally when he's interacting with people he's comfortable with. Not sure my approach worked, but it was worth a shot.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Yibao!”</p><p>Yibo smiled at the ‘precious’ nickname and looked up from his phone. Wang Han, his boss and the oldest ‘brother’ of the Extra Extra Fun Fun variety show, poked his head into the doorway of the MC’s dressing room. </p><p>“Yes, Han-ge?” Yibo said.</p><p>“Get plenty of rest tonight,” advised the man who was practically a father to him. “We have special guests tomorrow. It’ll be a very popular show.”</p><p>“Yes, Han-ge. I have a good routine worked out with the choreographer for the opener.”</p><p>“Good. Good. Get lots of practice, but don’t wear yourself out,” Wang Han told him with a wag of the finger. “You work too hard. You’re young, but you’re not invincible.”</p><p>“Yes, Han-ge.”</p><p>With a wave, the older man left. Yibo checked the time on his phone and realized he should get going, too. Most of the staff had already left. Wang Han, as the producer, was typically one of the last to leave the building. For all his warnings to Yibo not to overwork himself, Wang Han did the same himself.</p><p>He stood up and stretched, but doing so left him with a tingle in his limbs that he got whenever he was antsy to dance. <i>Maybe just once more…</i></p><p>Swinging his arms, he exited the dressing room and walked over to the theater where EEFF was filmed. The huge room was empty now, the lights over the audience seats darkened, but a single spotlight remained on the center of the stage for safety reasons when the cleaners showed up later that evening. </p><p>He didn’t have the song that they would be using on the show on his phone, but he pulled up one with the same beat. He turned up the volume and set the phone on the floor and began practicing the steps of his dance for tomorrow’s show.</p><p>He moved at thirty or forty percent of effort, just reinforcing muscle memory and ensuring he was on beat. He would only need to put in his full effort during the live taping, though even then, he wouldn’t be going as hard as he was capable. This dance wasn’t complicated compared to those he’d done in the past and the audience wouldn’t be looking for anything mind-blowing. They just wanted to see him move around.</p><p>He finished a run-through and decided to do one more, with more effort. He was a quarter of the way through it when the back door of the theater opened, silhouetting a tall figure. The person, surely a man with that height, stood there for a few seconds, watching, before letting the door close behind him and walking down the rows to take a seat.</p><p>Yibo couldn’t make out any details of the stranger. Not knowing anyone on the staff who was that tall, he wasn’t sure who this man could be. Maybe he was one of the guests for tomorrow, or an assistant to one of them. He wasn’t comfortable asking whoever it was to leave, so he just ignored him and continued with his routine.</p><p>He finished up…and the man began clapping.</p><p>Self-conscious, Yibo lifted a hand in acknowledgement before quickly bending over to swipe his phone from the floor. When he’d straightened, he discovered the man had descended the aisle and now stood in the front pit where the cameras were standing. The light reached him now, banishing the shadows from his face.</p><p>Yibo gasped. The man was Xiao Zhan. Though the schedule had listed his name, Yibo hadn’t expected the man to actually appear on the show. Xiao Zhan was currently the biggest star in China.. His most recent drama was the most watched television show in the country’s history. Xiao Zhan’s face was everywhere and his name was on everyone’s lips. He didn’t need to do a family variety show like Extra Extra Fun Fun. Yibo had figured the scheduling was only a hopeful what-if.</p><p>But Xiao Zhan was here and he was so much more than what Yibo had seen of him on TV and in the media. Even though he stood above him on the stage, Yibo could tell that Xiao Zhan would be several inches taller. He wore a long black overcoat that didn’t add any bulk to his slender body. The coat was open in front, revealing legs that seemed to stretch for miles. Everything he wore looked expensive, from his black slacks and turtleneck sweater to the black mask that dangled from one ear.</p><p>It was Xiao Zhan’s face, though, that blew his expectations out of the water. <i>The Most Handsome Man in Asia doesn’t describe him accurately</i>, Yibo thought in wonder. <i>He’s the most good-looking man on the planet.</i> </p><p>“That was really good!”</p><p>Yibo blinked out of his gawking. “Thank you,” he mumbled.</p><p>Xiao Zhan walked closer and his eyes seemed even larger, his smile even cuter. Did he have dimples? How were those cheekbones possible? Yibo prayed he wasn’t staring too obviously, but honestly, he was enjoying looking at the other man. <i>This is why he’s such a big star. Amazing.</i></p><p>“I’ve never seen anyone dance with such snap,” Xiao Zhan went on. He seemed genuinely impressed, which filled Yibo with a pleasant warmth. “Your arms and legs—” Xiao Zhan raised his elbows, looking like a scarecrow. “—every angle was perfect.”</p><p>Yibo smiled a little and fiddled with his phone. “Thanks.”</p><p>“The pleasure was mine to watch.”</p><p>Xiao Zhan kept smiling. Yibo knew it was his turn to say something, but he had no idea how to extend the conversation. He wasn’t prepared with a topic. He’d come to dance alone. </p><p>“Are you in the show?” Xiao Zhan asked, breaking the painful silence. He was still smiling, so he hadn’t lost interest yet, which was a miracle. Yibo figured it would happen in the next few minutes, if not sooner.</p><p>Yibo nodded. “I’m an assistant host.”</p><p>To his surprise, Xiao Zhan burst into laughter, his eyes squeezing into happy crescents. “I’m only joking with you. I know who you are. And you’re not an assistant! You’re an MC. You’re Wang Yibo! <i>The</i> Wang Yibo. Big-time dancer.”</p><p>Yibo’s smile held less tension this time. “Just a dancer,” he demurred. </p><p>Xiao Zhan knew of him? It seemed inconceivable. Yibo was a mid-tier celebrity at best. He wouldn’t, for example, be invited as a guest on any show that Xiao Zhan also appeared on. They occupied two very different levels of stardom.</p><p>“Just a dancer.” Xiao Zhan rolled his eyes dramatically. “Dancing King of China, from what I hear. From what I saw, they may be right. You’re really good!”</p><p>Yibo was sweating. He turned his phone over and over in his hands. “Thanks.” <i>Can you manage to say anything more intelligent?</i> “Um, you’re Xiao Zhan.” He mentally groaned. <i>What a stupid thing to say. He knows who he is!</i></p><p>“I am.” Xiao Zhan gave a slight bow, which Yibo immediately tried to return. He was left feeling silly when Xiao Zhan laughed and waved him off, as though his own bow had only been a joke. “So are you doing that dance for tomorrow’s show?”</p><p>“It’s the opening act.”</p><p>“You’re dancing by yourself?”</p><p>“No, I’ll have six dancers with me.” Yibo turned to point to the side. “There will be boxes there where the guests—you and the others—will come out after I open the doors on them.”</p><p>“Oh, so you’ll be dancing to me, eh?”</p><p>Xiao Zhan’s smile was funny, a little playful for some reason. Yibo cringed because he didn’t know how to read it. He was desperately afraid of making a fool out of himself in front of someone he’d admired from afar for months.</p><p>Fortunately, Xiao Zhan didn’t notice his discomfort. “Can you show me?” His eyes lit up. “Wait! Can I stand up there and pretend to be in my box?”</p><p>The suggestion was wild to Yibo. Why would Xiao Zhan want to do this? But he couldn’t think of a reason to deny him. Besides, Xiao Zhan’s enthusiasm over the dance was flattering.</p><p>“Sure.” Yibo pointed to the spot where Xiao Zhan’s box would be. “You stand there. I’ll mimic opening the box and you’ll step out with the other guests. You’ll form a line and the director will have you introduce yourselves.”</p><p>“Okay. Hold on.”</p><p>Xiao Zhan hurried to the short stairs that would take him up to the stage, pocketing his mask as he did so. As Yibo had predicted, the other man was taller than him, which didn’t happen often. It was a novel experience to look up to meet Xiao Zhan’s eyes. It also made Yibo feel a little nervous for some reason.</p><p>He kept his face expressionless as Xiao Zhan eagerly stood where Yibo had pointed. Yibo called up the song on his phone again and set it down so he could begin the dance.</p><p>He’d intended on going with the same effort he’d used during practice, but with Xiao Zhan only a few feet away, watching him with his large, excited eyes, Yibo couldn’t bring himself to half-ass it. He went full out, even going a little harder than necessary, making sure his moves were extra crisp since Xiao Zhan had appreciated that. Yibo pretended he was performing at a concert and treated it with the same seriousness.</p><p>When he heard Xiao Zhan murmur, “Incredible!” Yibo couldn’t help but preen.</p><p>After he finished his main dance, he moved around the stage, miming opening the boxes for the other guests. When he came to Xiao Zhan’s area, Yibo met his eyes. Xiao Zhan was grinning happily, but his gaze was locked onto Yibo with more than fleeting admiration. Yibo felt a jolt, low in his belly, when he thought he recognized the look that Xiao Zhan was giving him.</p><p>But it couldn’t be real. This was Xiao Zhan, the most desired man in the country. Yibo was just…Yibo.</p><p>Afraid he was reading everything wrong, Yibo averted his eyes and completed the dance, pretending to open Xiao Zhan’s box and then dancing into the background. Xiao Zhan stepped out but he didn’t face the audience as he was supposed to. He followed Yibo with his eyes as Yibo danced to the back of the stage.</p><p>Yibo ended his steps. The song kept playing. “That’s it,” he said, feeling awkward now that his role was finished. Without looking at Xiao Zhan, he strode over to pick up his phone and turn off the music.</p><p>“I can’t wait,” Xiao Zhan said.</p><p>Yibo nodded. He stole another glance at him, but grew flustered at finding Xiao Zhan already looking back at him. </p><p>“I came in early,” Xiao Zhan said. He laughed a little. “Obviously. I’m here. My flight was supposed to arrive in the morning, but my schedule changed so I asked to come and spend the night. Gives me a little break.”</p><p>Yibo chewed on his lips. Xiao Zhan’s presence dominated the stage. Tomorrow, he would surely outshine the other guests. Yibo wondered why Wang Han hadn’t scheduled Xiao Zhan to appear by himself. The audience would undoubtedly love an entire show dedicated only to him.</p><p>“It’s good to have a break,” he said, figuring parroting Xiao Zhan’s words back to him wouldn’t make him sound stupid.</p><p>“For sure. I’ve been running around too much…” Xiao Zhan rolled his head on his neck. “Anyway, I was reading up on the plan for tomorrow and I saw we’re doing something with makeup artists?”</p><p>“Two guests are celebrity artists,” Yibo confirmed. “There’ll be a bit where you and the others pair up with a host and compete to apply makeup the best. The artists will judge the winner.” He offered a crooked smile. “I think it’s supposed to be funny.”</p><p>“It’ll definitely be funny if they think I’m wearing makeup!” Xiao Zhan said with a guffaw. “I’ve tried in the past and I looked like a clown, ha-ha!”</p><p>Yibo finally felt comfortable enough to grin. “You’ll be applying makeup to a female guest. It’s a challenge for the men. That’s why it’s funny.”</p><p>“But it’s a competition, too, right?” When Yibo nodded, Xiao Zhan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I’m a very competitive person, Yibo. I don’t like to lose.”</p><p>Hearing his name spoken by Xiao Zhan gave Yibo a tiny thrill which he carefully contained.</p><p>“But I’ve never applied makeup,” Xiao Zhan admitted. “I’m at a disadvantage.”</p><p>“It won’t be so hard,” Yibo said with a shrug.</p><p>Xiao Zhan suddenly snapped his fingers. “That’s right!  You know a lot about makeup! You’re the brand spokesmodel for Yang Shui.”</p><p>Yibo was startled that Xiao Zhan knew that about him. But logic muted his pleasure. <i>Why is it a big deal that he knows? Your ads are on trains and in airports. Everyone has seen them, including people who have no idea who you are. You’re one of dozens of product spokespeople who are shoved in the faces of the public every day.</i></p><p>“You can help me prepare,” Xiao Zhan was saying.</p><p>Yibo couldn’t hide his confusion. “Prepare?”</p><p>“You know, be my model. So I can practice and not look like a total idiot on the show.”</p><p>Shyness burned over Yibo’s skin in a full-body blush. “You want to apply makeup—on me?”</p><p>“If you don’t mind. It would help me, Yibo. Please?”</p><p>Unbelievably, Xiao Zhan cast puppy dog eyes at Yibo. For a wild second, Yibo thought about snapping a photo of him.</p><p>Xiao Zhan pouted. “I just don’t want to lose. I hate losing.”</p><p>Torn by a million emotions, Yibo couldn’t find one that would permit him to refuse. “I…guess.”</p><p>“Great!”</p><p>Yibo had to look away from the joy on Xiao Zhan’s face or else he’d spring a goofy, infatuated grin. </p><p>“Most everyone’s gone home already,” he said, thinking aloud. “We could use the MC’s dressing room without anyone disturbing us.”</p><p>He was primarily concerned with staff members seeing him painted with what would likely be a terrible makeup job, but as he glanced at Xiao Zhan, he couldn’t deny the truth: he wanted to spend more time with the actor. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. A star of Xiao Zhan’s stature didn’t come around EEFF often, much less show Yibo more than a passing interest. Yibo needed to savor every second of this that he could manage.</p><p>“Sounds good to me,” Xiao Zhan said. “Lead the way.”</p><p>Praying that he wasn’t making a big mistake that might make Wang Han upset with him—colluding with a guest didn’t seem like a big deal for a silly show but what did Yibo know?—he led Xiao Zhan backstage to the MC’s dressing room. It was a large room for all five hosts to use. Sofas and tables provided areas for them to unwind in the front half of the room while the dressing tables were in the back. Yibo took Xiao Zhan to his own stall, which was at the end of the row.</p><p>EEFF’s makeup artist brought her own supplies, but there were a few promotional gift sets on the table that were always there as backup in case she didn’t bring the exact shades that she needed. Yibo looked through them.</p><p>“You know a lot about this?” Xiao Zhan asked, drawing near.</p><p>Yibo tensed. Was he imagining the pressure against the back of his arm? Surely Xiao Zhan wasn’t so close? Yibo was afraid to turn his head and look.</p><p>“I don’t know a lot,” he said quietly as he picked out an eyeshadow palette and an eyebrow pencil. “Only what I see people use on me.”</p><p>“It’s more than I know,” Xiao Zhan breathed against the back of Yibo’s ear.</p><p>He shivered and nearly snapped the eyebrow pencil in his hand. “This—” he cleared his throat, “—this should be enough.”</p><p>He didn’t move. After a couple of seconds, Xiao Zhan shuffled back. When Yibo guessed there was enough space between them, he turned. Xiao Zhan was resting a hand on the top of the chair, smiling guilelessly. Maybe Yibo was jumping to all the wrong conclusions.</p><p>He gingerly sat down in his chair and watched Xiao Zhan take his place at the makeup table. Xiao Zhan opened the palette Yibo had set out for him. He studied the colors before selecting a brush from a cup holding several of them.</p><p>“This is going to be fun,” he declared when he turned to Yibo.</p><p>Yibo swallowed and said nothing. He gripped the arm rests and stared at his own reflection in the mirror as Xiao Zhan leaned closer.</p><p>“Phoenix eyes,” Xiao Zhan murmured as he stroked the brush across a pan in the palette. “I could use any of these colors and they’d look good on you.”</p><p>Yibo stared at Xiao Zhan’s profile in the mirror. “Brush the color along the top edge of the lid,” he instructed. “Where my lashes are, I mean.”</p><p>“A line?”</p><p>“Yes. I think so. My eyes are usually closed during this part.”</p><p>Xiao Zhan smiled. “Of course. But you feel what’s being done to you.”</p><p>Yibo hated that his mind twisted the innocent comment into something flirtatious. He sincerely hoped he didn’t make a fool of himself before this ill-advised practice session was over.</p><p>“Yibo.” Xiao Zhan was close again. “Close your eyes.”</p><p>He felt naked and exposed, but he obeyed. He didn’t know what else to do. In his self-imposed darkness he was suddenly starkly aware of the scent of Xiao Zhan’s woodsy cologne. It smelled so good. He felt the warmth of Xiao Zhan’s hand a second before he felt the makeup brush dust across his right eyelid. Xiao Zhan kept the touch light, the bristles barely kissing Yibo’s skin. His eyelashes twitched as the brush angled along them.</p><p>“There’s an ad,” Xiao Zhan said, his voice low, “where you’re wearing bright red eyeshadow and your skin is pale like jade.”</p><p>“The Valentine’s set.”</p><p>“Is that it? It’s one of my favorite ads of you.”</p><p>Yibo wanted to open his eyes and stare at him in wonder, but Xiao Zhan was working on his left eyelid now. He felt a finger, maybe Xiao Zhan’s pinky, stroke along the top of his cheek as though dusting off excess powder.</p><p>“My other favorite is the ad set where they put an animal print on your cheekbones.”</p><p>“Jungle set,” Yibo whispered in disbelief. Xiao Zhan’s finger smoothed along his eyebrow and around his orbital socket. “It was eyeshadow with a stencil.”</p><p>“It looked exotic. I wish I were good enough to do that on you now.”</p><p>The brush was on Yibo’s right eye again, caressing the shape of the orb through his eyelid. It swirled around and around. Yibo’s grip on the armrests tightened. </p><p>“I’m going to try the eyebrow pencil now,” Xiao Zhan told him.</p><p>“Short strokes,” Yibo said. Hesitantly, he opened his eyes.</p><p>He saw himself first, in the mirror’s reflection. He gasped softly. Xiao Zhan had used a metallic shade of pink eyeshadow and he’d been bold with it. But he’d also been careful, artistically angling the color at the corners of Yibo’s eyes so it looked like they had little shimmery wings. It was a stunning effect and Yibo didn’t mind at all that the look was very feminine. It suited his eye shape.</p><p>He looked away from the mirror to find Xiao Zhan smiling at his reaction. “Not bad, right?”</p><p>“It’s good,” Yibo said honestly.</p><p>“It’s easy when you’re already good-looking,” he said with a carefree laugh.</p><p>Yibo averted his gaze. His pants felt tighter and he thought, <i>Please no</i>.</p><p>“Okay, now the eyebrows, though yours are already full. Maybe just a little definition here. It’s no wonder makeup companies use you. Your face is perfect.”</p><p>Xiao Zhan spoke as he drew delicately on Yibo’s eyebrows. Yibo nibbled on his lips, unable to believe the things Xiao Zhan was saying. Maybe the flattery was something that, as Asia’s Most Handsome Man, he felt compelled to say? As a means to appear humble?</p><p>But as Yibo discreetly watched, Xiao Zhan smiled as he worked and his expression brightened with satisfaction when he apparently achieved the look he wanted. He looked at Yibo as though he truly liked what he was seeing and it didn’t seem faked or condescending.</p><p>“Whoever does your makeup every day must love you,” Xiao Zhan said.</p><p>Yibo’s heart pounded a million miles a minute as he murmured, “Yours, too.”</p><p>Dark eyes flicked to meet his. Xiao Zhan smiled, but it was a different smile than the ones he’d given before. “Yeah?”</p><p>Yibo didn’t know what to say. Xiao Zhan knew who he was and what people said about him.</p><p>“I think I look like an ordinary guy with good lighting,” Xiao Zhan said. “But some people—their looks make you remember them. There’s something unique about them, something out of the ordinary that sticks with you like a memory.” He smirked. “Or like a dance.”</p><p>Yibo held still as Xiao Zhan brushed a strand of his hair away from his temple. “Something really special.”</p><p>Yibo knew he needed to maintain eye contact. Something was happening here, an inexplicable connection forming. But he’d never been very good at being assertive when it came to other people. A little voice inside him always questioned whether he was seeing what he wanted to see, or hearing what he wanted to hear because he was lonely.</p><p>The voice told him to look at the mirror again because Xiao Zhan could not have appeared out of nowhere on a Wednesday night to seduce him in his makeup chair. Such things simply didn’t happen. So he stared at his own reflection in the mirror, despairing at the revealing red blaze of his ears, and listened to Xiao Zhan sigh.</p><p>“If I’m going to win this thing,” Xiao Zhan said, his tone oddly cheerful in a way that made Yibo question if it was real, “I need to go all-out and do everything.” He set the eyebrow pencil on the table and reached for the tubes of lipstick. “Right, Yibo?”</p><p>Watching in horrified fascination as Xiao Zhan selected a tube, Yibo murmured, “Right.”</p><p>Xiao Zhan brought his woodsy scent closer again. He seemed to bring his face closer than necessary, too, but Yibo was staring hard at the mirror so his perception of distance could have been off.</p><p>“Part your lips for me,” Xiao Zhan said softly. He dabbed Yibo’s bottom lip with the lipstick. “This is going to be easy. Your lips are—you must sell a lot of lipstick for them.”</p><p>Even if he’d wanted to, Yibo couldn’t speak with Xiao Zhan working on his mouth. He watched as a frosted pink glided over his lip, the soft color making his lip look larger than it was. Xiao Zhan moved to his upper lip.</p><p>“So plump,” he heard Xiao Zhan murmur as he used the lipstick to push Yibo’s upper lip from side to side.</p><p>Yibo didn’t want to pant like an excited boy on Xiao Zhan’s fingers, but trying to control his breathing and appear unaffected was becoming nearly impossible. Xiao Zhan seemed to be spending a long time on his lips, pushing them this way and that almost as though he were playing with them or testing their softness. So much pushing—as if he were trying to goad Yibo into pushing back.</p><p>“I think you need gloss,” Xiao Zhan announced.</p><p><i>I think I need a moment to get rid of my hard-on,</i> Yibo thought, but he said nothing as Xiao Zhan found a thinner tube of gloss and opened it to study the wand.</p><p>“Too stiff,” he said, as if speaking to himself. Yibo watched him smear the end of the wand on the pad of his forefinger and set the tube aside.</p><p>At the touch of Xiao Zhan’s finger to his bottom lip, Yibo’s breath rushed from him. His ears burned hotly when Xiao Zhan smiled in clear amusement, but Xiao Zhan didn’t pull away. He rubbed his finger gently across Yibo’s lip, coating it in gloss. His touch seemed to linger, following the curve of his lip, back and forth, back and forth. Yibo held his breath, waiting for that finger to dip inside…</p><p>“Looks good,” Xiao Zhan murmured. With his finger gently pressing down on Yibo’s lip, he turned his head to meet Yibo’s eyes in the mirror. “What do you think?”</p><p>“Good,” Yibo said unthinkingly. The word pushed his lips into a pucker, inadvertently kissing Xiao Zhan’s finger.</p><p>Xiao Zhan’s eyebrows arched. As Yibo died inside, Xiao Zhan took his finger away—only to spread the lip gloss over his own lips. He grinned once he’d done it. “See? I told you I look silly in makeup.”</p><p>“You don’t,” Yibo said, his voice hoarse. Xiao Zhan’s lips glistened from the indirect kiss. They curved up cutely at the corners. “It’s impossible to make you look bad.”</p><p>Xiao Zhan didn’t look away for several seconds, seriously testing Yibo’s courage. Eventually he smiled as he shook his head. “Thank you. You sounded like you mean it.”</p><p>“I do.”</p><p>Xiao Zhan straightened and turned his back on him. Yibo slumped in disappointment. Had he come on too strong? Too eager? Had he tried to push something that wasn’t actually happening between them? Xiao Zhan wiped his finger clean on a tissue and tossed it into a trash can beneath the desk.</p><p>“Since I don’t know all the details,” he said with his back still to Yibo, “let’s assume part of the challenge will be hair, too.” He walked around behind Yibo’s chair and rested his hands on Yibo’s shoulders. “Don’t you think?”</p><p>Yibo corralled his surprise. “I-yes.”</p><p>Xiao Zhan lightly combed his fingers through Yibo’s hair. The action set his entire skull alight, making him shiver.</p><p>“Thick and shiny,” Xiao Zhan murmured as he watched himself drag his fingers through Yibo’s hair, carding it back from his face. “It’s no wonder you have a shampoo contract, too.”</p><p>What <i>didn’t</i> Xiao Zhan know about him?</p><p>“How do you know so much?” he dared to ask.</p><p>“I’ve tried to get on this show for a while now.” Xiao Zhan watched himself gather Yibo’s hair at the back of his head in a small ponytail. He studied it for a second before he tugged on it. Yibo sucked in his breath. Xiao Zhan looked up to his reflection.  He pulled again, not hard, but enough to tilt Yibo’s head slightly. He stared at Yibo’s reflection as if rapt. “Yeah?”</p><p>Yibo wasn’t sure what the question was, but he said, “Yes,” because he couldn’t imagine denying Xiao Zhan anything.</p><p>Xiao Zhan’s lips parted as though he hadn’t expected the answer, but then he released the ponytail to drive his hand into the thickest part of Yibo’s hair and carefully grab a handful of it, tight to his scalp.</p><p>Yibo made an embarrassing sound. His cock rapidly swelled.</p><p>Xiao Zhan let go and pushed his hand through his hair again to fist another handful, pulling taut and forcing Yibo to lift his chin. Xiao Zhan stared at him in the mirror for a moment, listening to Yibo pant for breath, before he brought his other hand around to cup Yibo’s jaw.</p><p> “My schedule never worked out, or you were booked,” Xiao Zhan said, his voice breathy, as though he were having difficulty remaining calm. “This is a popular show.”</p><p>“It’s—for an older audience.” Yibo gasped as Xiao Zhan pulled on his hair again. His pants were definitely tight. <i>Please don’t look down, Xiao Zhan.</i> “It’s a show for families.”</p><p>Xiao Zhan chuckled. “That might be what they tell you, but this show has a healthy younger following, Wang Yibo. It’s why you’re here.” He tugged on Yibo’s hair again, sending pinpricks of pain across his skin. “And you’re effective."</p><p>The compliment felt disturbing somehow, but Yibo was too distracted to be bothered by it.</p><p>“It took a few months,” Xiao Zhan continued, staring at him in the mirror, “until I could take the place of another guest who cancelled. They wanted me to wait for a show with fewer guests, but I’ve waited long enough. That’s why I came early today. Just for you.” He bent down and said into Yibo’s ear, “And there you were. Dancing just for <i>me</i>.”</p><p>Yibo moaned. He didn’t care. Xiao Zhan’s breath on his ear was going to make him cum.</p><p>“If I’d known,” he whispered, “I would have been.”</p><p>Xiao Zhan’s lips gazed the whorl of his ear. “Known what?”</p><p>“That you like me.”</p><p>Xiao Zhan’s eyes were as black as coals in the mirror. “I’m obsessed with you.”</p><p>The words rushed through Yibo’s bloodstream like a drug. Xiao Zhan moved his hands to his shoulders and when his fingers dipped beneath the neck of Yibo’s T-shirt and stroked over his skin, Yibo’s entire body felt like it was singing.</p><p>“You ever throw caution to the wind?” Xiao Zhan asked, his words feathering across Yibo’s temple. “You ever do something you know you shouldn’t, but you just…can’t…stop?”</p><p>Yibo released his death grip on the armrests and dropped his hands to his lap, folding them over the mound that had formed in his pants. Xiao Zhan’s gaze jumped to them. </p><p>“What are you hiding?” he demanded.</p><p>Yibo couldn’t hold back. With a low groan, he pushed the heel of his bottom hand against his erection. His hips bucked up. Xiao inhaled sharply.</p><p>“S-sorry,” Yibo stuttered, embarrassed.</p><p>“Keep going,” Xiao Zhan ordered in a whisper as his fingers clenched over Yibo’s collarbones. “Show me.”</p><p>Biting his lip, Yibo began to slowly rub himself through his pants. His thighs quivered. His chest rose and fell in a frantic rhythm.</p><p>“Have you ever done this before?”</p><p>Yibo searched his expression. “Done—this?”</p><p>“With a stranger watching you do it.”</p><p>Yibo shuddered hard.  He wanted to look away, but Xiao Zhan’s gaze was a trap that had locked down tight.</p><p>“Never. This is—I’d never do this with anyone else. I can’t believe I’m doing it with you.”</p><p>Thumbs dug until his trapezius muscles. “Why <i>are</i> you doing it with me?”</p><p>“Because you’re—Xiao Zhan.”</p><p>Xiao Zhan smiled. “If only you—”</p><p>“Yibo.”</p><p>Yibo jerked so violently out from beneath Xiao Zhan that he practically fell from the chair. He stumbled as he whirled around. His hip crashed into the edge of the vanity but he hardly noticed the pain. </p><p>In the doorway of the dressing room stood Wang Han.</p><p>Yibo knew what it looked like, what it <i>was</i>. With his hair mussed and his face hot, there was no way the older man didn’t know what had been happening. Shame rushed through him. He wished he could crawl out of sight. Xiao Zhan, in contrast, smoothed the lapels of his coat down with hands that were steady.</p><p>“Wang Han,” he greeted with a slight bow. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”</p><p>Wang Han looked at him briefly before he flicked his gaze to Yibo. “It’s late. Go home.” He turned a flat look on Xiao Zhan. “I’d like to speak to our guest.”</p><p>Wang Han was furious. Yibo had never seen him this angry and his shame increased at having been the one to upset a man he respected tremendously.</p><p>“Yes, Han-ge,” he mumbled, bowing apologetically.</p><p>Unable to look either man in the eye, the makeup on his face burning like a brand, Yibo hurried out of the dressing room and through the doors of the Hunan TV studios.</p><p>As he hustled to his car and the driver who was reading the newspaper behind the wheel, he thought, <i>What would have happened if Han-ge hadn’t shown up when he did?</i></p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>He slept poorly that night, torn by shame over his behavior and the lingering buzz of lust. He regretted his unprofessionalism and that Wang Han had been there to witness it. He did not regret his experience with Xiao Zhan. He hoarded it in his mind like a treasure that no one else must know about.</p><p>When he arrived at the studios the morning, he immediately sought out Wang Han. The older man was seated on one of the sofas in the MC’s dressing room, going over the script for that day’s show.</p><p>“Han-ge,” Yibo murmured respectfully before bowing deeply in front of him. His forehead nearly touched his knees.</p><p>“Yibo.” Wang Han lowered the script to his lap and patted the cushion beside him. “Yibao, sit with me.”</p><p>The affectionate nickname loosened a band of tension around Yibo’s heart. His trembling eased as he sat down. </p><p>“I want to apologize, Han-ge, for what you saw last night.” Yibo couldn’t hold the older man’s eyes and stared down at his hands on his knees. “I behaved inappropriately and I am ready to be censured.”</p><p>“I know you are,” Wang Han said with a sigh. He reached over and patted Yibo’s nearest hand. “Yibo, look at me.” His smile was kind. “What am I to do with you, hmm? Do you know who you are?”</p><p>Yibo shook his head. “I don’t understand the question.”</p><p>“You’re a handsome boy. Very popular with our viewers. Your brothers all love you. The crew adores you.” He pointed at Yibo’s blushing cheeks. “And yet you don’t see it! Is it that you don’t believe any of us?”</p><p>“It’s…difficult to explain.” For the sake of this man who’d protected him from so much, Yibo tried. “I know what I am. I have sponsorships and advertising contracts. I know my value when it comes to those things. But it’s as though—those are for another person. They’re not about me. They’re about Wang Yibo.”</p><p>Wang Han cocked his head. “Then who are you?”</p><p>“Just Yibo,” he said with a self-conscious shrug. “Wang Yibo is an image. He’s not real. He’s not me.”</p><p>“I see. I understand where you’re coming from with this. However, you’re simplifying matters too much.” Hang Wan pointed at Yibo’s chest this time. “You’re not two separate people. Wang Yibo the incredible dancer didn’t get his skills from Mars. He got them because <i>you</i> are an incredible dancer. Wang Yibo the model isn’t a mask. It’s your face that sells products and makes the girls scream. You cannot separate the two because there is only one. There is Yibo. You. Your talent didn’t come from nowhere. It comes from your hard work. From your dedication. Everything that ‘Wang Yibo’ receives—the attention, the fans—is what <i>you</i> deserve, because it’s <i>you</i> these things are aimed at, not an imaginary figure.”</p><p>Though he was uncomfortable with the praise, Yibo nodded. “Sometimes it’s easier to separate.”</p><p>“I get it.” Wang Han smiled ruefully. “Believe me, I do. Fame is heavy. It can be cumbersome to handle. But you <i>are</i> famous, Yibo, and because you are, you will be targeted.” He paused. “Yibo, I am not your father.”</p><p>“I know, Han-ge.”</p><p>“But I care for you as though you were my son. You are my little Henan flower.”</p><p>Yibo ducked his head, embarrassed and pleased.</p><p> “You’re very precious to me, and so it bothers me to see you not respecting your worth. Never settle for scraps. Not from anyone. I don’t care who they are. What happened last night…it shouldn’t happen.”</p><p>Sobered, Yibo nodded. “You’re right.”</p><p>“Not in public. Not so cheaply.”</p><p>The humiliating reminder stung, but Yibo accepted it. “Yes, Han-ge.”</p><p>Han-ge patted his shoulder. “There is only one Wang Yibo and he’s loved very much. Don’t forget that.” He sat back and picked up the script. “There. That’s your censure. Go get your makeup done. Properly this time!”</p><p>His heart full, Yibo stood and bowed again. “Thank you, Han-ge,” he said softly. He knew he had dodged a bullet. He was grateful to be working in such a supportive environment.</p><p>Soon, it was time for rehearsal of that day’s show. Yibo couldn’t sit still. Though Wang Han had been diplomatic in warning Yibo not to be unprofessional again, he was excited to see Xiao Zhan, to make eye contact with the star and experience that illicit thrill again. He fantasized about Xiao Zhan approaching him and discreetly slipping his phone number into Yibo’s hand, or whispering the name of a bar where they could meet up after filming. Yibo would have to be careful about not attracting Wang Han’s attention, but he felt confident that an assignation could be arranged.</p><p>The guests emerged from the green room and rehearsals began. Yibo, heart pounding, watched eagerly as Xiao Zhan allowed himself to be guided to his position in the box for the dance. The music started up and Yibo and the dancers did their thing. When he came up to Xiao Zhan’s box, Yibo looked up at him, letting his interest shine from his eyes. But the other man was looking just beyond his shoulder, and stepped out of the box without noticing.</p><p>The rehearsals continued. Xiao Zhan’s dark, smiling eyes moved right past Yibo as they and the other guests maneuvered around the stage. Xiao Zhan looked through him and past him. He never once addressed Yibo or acted as though he heard the comments that Yibo made. It was as though Xiao Zhan couldn’t see him at all.</p><p>When the guests were paired up with hosts for the makeup game, Yibo and Wang Han were the odd men out, which was unusual. Wang Han normally made an effort to use Yibo to demonstrate or perform a skill whenever such an opportunity came up. But Yibo understood why he’d been left out this time. He stood beside his mentor silently in the wings, watching as Xiao Zhan won the game with the same makeup style he had used on Yibo last night. </p><p>“I guess I got lucky,” Xiao Zhan sheepishly told the makeup artists when they congratulated him on his choices.</p><p>Yibo’s jaw hurt from clenching too hard.</p><p>Final filming proved to be no different, just an echo of rehearsals. Yibo was little more than a ghost in Xiao Zhan’s world. Yibo felt as though even if he were to stand in the middle of the stage and scream, the other man wouldn’t notice him. </p><p>It was devastating.</p><p>Taping finished. Xiao Zhan apologized to Wang Han, explaining that he needed to catch a flight and couldn’t stick around for the meal that the guests shared with the hosts and crew. Xiao Zhan pressed his hands together in front of his face and bowed to the MCs as a group. His gaze never came close to acknowledging Yibo before he turned and strode off the stage.</p><p>Yibo ate the food, but he tasted nothing. He wasn’t a talkative host on the best of days and today he probably came off as catatonic. He hated that Wang Han had been right. He hated that he felt like a boy who’d needed to learn a lesson. The bitter truth was that he had learned a lesson, and it stung him fiercely.</p><p>~~~~~</p><p>He was home, putting together a Lego set for a Bugatti, when his phone pinged with a message. Hoping it was Yixuan, who had promised to call, he was surprised to instead find a photo from an unknown number.</p><p>It was a golden-lit, professional photograph of Xiao Zhan. It was a gorgeous image of him smiling into the distance while light glittered in his eyes like stars.  His smile was soft, as though he were gazing at someone he was fond of, and Yibo’s breath caught at the beauty of it. He wished he were the one that Xiao Zhan was looking at that way.</p><p> </p><p>UNKNOWN NUMBER: Remember me?</p><p> </p><p>Heart beginning to race, he typed back.</p><p> </p><p>YIBO: Who is this?<br/>
UNKNOWN NUMBER: Thought it was obvious from the photo. I told you, me and lighting. It makes me look like someone I’m not.</p><p> </p><p>It was Xiao Zhan. Yibo’s palms began to sweat.</p><p> </p><p>YIBO: How did you get my number?<br/>
UNKNOWN NUMBER: I had my manager call your manager. I’m smarter than I look, ha-ha.</p><p> </p><p>Yibo didn’t know how to feel. Xiao Zhan had ignored him during today’s filming, treating Yibo like he was nobody—worse, treating him as though he didn’t exist. Yet Xiao Zhan had gone out of his way to obtain Yibo’s number and contact him.</p><p>He decided to proceed with caution.</p><p> </p><p>YIBO: I’m surprised to hear from you after today.<br/>
UNKNOWN NUMBER: yes, sorry. I probably seemed rude. I didn’t have a choice. Your big brother told me to stay away from you. I couldn’t even warn you about what had happened. He watched me like a hawk!</p><p> </p><p>Yibo chewed on his bottom lip. Wang Han hadn’t said anything about giving Xiao Zhan a warning. It wasn’t something that would have surprised Yibo if he had, but it <i>would</i> surprise him to not be told about it. Wang Han had always been truthful and open with him.</p><p>Then again, such a situation had never arisen between them before. Yibo wasn’t sure how protective Wang Han could be, though he’d gotten an inkling of it earlier during their brief talk. Could he imagine Wang Han dressing Xiao Zhan down for dragging his ‘little Henan flower’ into a cheap affair? Yes, actually, Yibo could.</p><p>He hesitated, then added Xiao Zhan’s number as a contact.</p><p> </p><p>YIBO: I wish I’d known. I didn’t understand.<br/>
XIAO ZHAN: It was awkward for me, too. Sorry, Yibo. But at least that’s behind us. And I won the contest thanks to you 😀😀 Though she wasn’t nearly as pretty as you. 😉</p><p> </p><p>Yibo still felt uneasy. He wanted to believe Xiao Zhan’s compliments, but the day had left him feeling wounded.</p><p> </p><p>XIAO ZHAN: You’re not typing. Are you mad at me? I wouldn’t blame you if you are. I was mean to you all day.</p><p> </p><p>Yibo smiled a little.</p><p> </p><p>YIBO: You were mean, yeah.<br/>
XIAO ZHAN: So sorry! How can I make it up to you? Ask me for anything. I’m practically in love with you at this point. I’ll do anything for you.</p><p> </p><p>Yibo stared at the words on the screen. The walls he’d been lowering slammed back up again.</p><p> </p><p>YIBO: How can you be in love with me? You don’t even know me.<br/>
XIAO ZHAN: was only playing. I’m not in love. YET. 😘😘 Give me a few days.</p><p> </p><p>Yibo scrolled back up to the photo Xiao Zhan had set him. It really was a handsome photo. Simply looking at it made Yibo feel soft inside, like he was melting. But when he thought of the things Xiao Zhan was typing to him, he became confused again, even a little stressed. Because he didn’t understand where any of it was coming from.</p><p> </p><p>YIBO: maybe we should go slow<br/>
XIAO ZHAN: if that’s what you want. But time is tough for people like us. We don’t have a lot of it. I don’t know when I’ll be able to text you again. I’m always flying. 😓<br/>
YIBO: yes, you must be very busy with your new show. I was reading about it the other day.<br/>
XIAO ZHAN: of course you were 😏 It’s a good show. A good role for me. You’ll like it. One day, we should do a show together. I’ll talk to my agent about it. What kinds of roles do you like? I’ll let him know.</p><p> </p><p>Yibo rubbed at the back of his neck. The muscles there felt like they’d snap if he turned his head too quickly. Why was Xiao Zhan talking about starring in a show together? Yibo had never acted before. He could be terrible at it.</p><p> </p><p>YIBO: have you been drinking? Haha<br/>
XIAO ZHAN: I don’t drink! Just drunk on love, maybe. I told you I was obsessed. Wish you were here. It’s so boring in between takes. I bet you’d find a way to keep me occupied 😏</p><p> </p><p>Yibo got up and walked to the kitchen. He looked in his fridge but he had nothing alcoholic. Disappointed, he settled with some juice. He stood beside the sink as he drank and re-read what Xiao Zhan had written.</p><p> </p><p>XIAO ZHAN: what are you doing right now?<br/>
YIBO: was working on something earlier, but nothing now</p><p> </p><p>He was reluctant to tell Xiao Zhan about his Lego sets. Someone like Xiao Zhan would definitely find it childish and silly that Yibo still played with toys. It was pretty childish, but…building the sets relaxed him.</p><p> </p><p>XIAO ZHAN: if I begged you for a photo would you send me one? A sexy one? ;)</p><p> </p><p>Yibo’s heart sank.</p><p> </p><p>YIBO: what happened to going slow? 😅<br/>
XIAO ZHAN: I told you. No time for that. Besides, you already know I like you. Remind me why I do.</p><p> </p><p>He picked at his elbow, digging at dry skin.</p><p> </p><p>YIBO: I can’t take a pic right now<br/>
XIAO ZHAN: I’m begging you. Do you know how many people would kill to have me beg for nudes from them? Hint: it’s a lot. Come on, Yibo. Just one. Go into the bathroom and snap a quick one. No one will know. You’d make me very happy.</p><p> </p><p>Yibo stared at the words and struggled to decipher what he was feeling. His fingernails dug into his elbow.</p><p> </p><p>YIBO: I can’t. I’m really sorry.<br/>
XIAO ZHAN: I thought about you all last night. How pretty you were, Yibo. I could lose my heart to someone like you. All I’d need is a little push…</p><p> </p><p>The screen shimmered. Yibo tilted his head back but he wasn’t quick enough to stop the first tear from sliding down his cheek.</p><p> </p><p>YIBO: I’m sorry. I have to go.<br/>
XIAO ZHAN: Noooo! You have to send me a photo first! Come on, Yibo. Show me how you—</p><p> </p><p>Yibo set his phone carefully on the counter and walked out of the kitchen.</p><p>In his bedroom, he dropped facedown on his bed and cried. He cried for several minutes, until his eyes were too swollen to leak anymore and he felt mostly numb. He rolled over onto his back and stared blearily at the ceiling.</p><p>He feared that he’d overreacted. He wasn't the best at interpreting social cues and he'd be the first to admit that he often took things too literally. Now that his emotions had bled out, the texting didn't come across as troubling as they had before. Xiao Zhan had written some strange things, things that made no sense, but they hadn’t been malicious things, or cruel. Maybe he was terrible at flirting. Maybe he had an awful sense of humor.</p><p>Or maybe Yibo was making excuses for behavior he knew wasn’t right.</p><p>None of his brothers at EEFF was aware of it, but when he'd been a teenager working through the dance circuit, he'd had an abusive friend. They'd roomed together and trained together, and when the pressure had grown too great, Yibo's friend would take out his frustrations on Yibo verbally. It had taken Yibo years to find the courage to speak up for himself, and even now, he did it only rarely. But he recognized when he was being manipulated. He was familiar with the pressure to 'go along.'  Whether Xiao Zhan was aware of what he was doing wasn't for Yibo to decide. His only choice was to accept it or reject it. But to do that,  he needed to be reading things right, and it shamed him that he didn't know if he was.</p><p> He summoned the energy to roll off the bed and rinse his face in the sink. His eyes were puffy. He didn’t look attractive. He certainly wasn’t “Wang Yibo”, only plain, awkward Yibo who couldn’t handle the attentions of a big name star.</p><p>He sniffed and dashed his hand across his eyes to swipe away a couple of hot, stray tears. He shuffled into the kitchen and reluctantly picked up his phone. </p><p>He didn’t want to check for messages, but he did. There were none. Xiao Zhan had given up quickly. Yibo thought he should probably feel disappointed or anxious that he’d blown his chance. He didn’t even feel relieved. He was scared. Scared that he couldn’t trust his own judgment, that interacting normally with people would forever be beyond him.</p><p>He carried his phone into the living room and wedged himself into a corner of his sofa. It was too late for him to be calling people. He bit his lip and did it anyway.</p><p>“Yibo?” Wang Han’s questioning voice made his eyes sting again. “Yibo, it’s late. Is everything alright?”</p><p>“Han-ge,” he said hoarsely. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Han-ge, I’m sorry to disturb you. If you’re busy—”</p><p>“Talk to me, Yibao.” Wang Han’s voice was kind. “Tell me what’s the matter.”</p><p>“Is it—is it impossible for someone to like me immediately? Does that—does it not make sense that it could happen?”</p><p>“I liked you the first time I saw you at the cast interviews.”</p><p>“Not like that,” Yibo said softly. “I mean <i>like</i> like.”</p><p>“Ah. Well, I would say it depends. You’re a handsome boy, Yibo. Many people will fall for you at first sight. That’s why you have so many fans. But the thing they feel for you is rather shallow. It’s all based on looks. I doubt that’s the kind of love you want from anyone.”</p><p>“No. I don’t. You’re right.” He sniffed and rubbed his nose with his sleeve. “I want someone to love me for me. As Yibo.”</p><p>“I know I told you earlier today that you’re not two people, you’re one. But I wasn’t quite correct in a way. For you, I think there are two parts to you. The handsome outer shell that is Wang Yibo, but also the tender center that is Yibo. Find someone who looks beneath the shell, Yibo. Find someone who sees the treasure boy that you are. That’s who you want. Everyone sees the shell. Only a special person will find the treasure.”</p><p>“That’s nice,” Yibo murmured, closing his eyes. “Thank you, Han-ge.”</p><p>“Are you alright, Yibao? Has someone hurt you?”</p><p>“No, I—I think I prevented that from happening.” He smiled wearily. “Or else I blew my chance. I guess I’ll never know.”</p><p>“I see.” Wang Han sighed. “I should have told you this morning that I requested that Xiao Zhan stay away from you during filming. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust him with you. I wanted to see if he was the type of man who would honor my wishes.”</p><p>“He told me,” Yibo whispered, wordlessly informing Wang Han of what this phone conversation was about.</p><p>“Be careful,” his mentor told him. “I haven’t heard anything negative about him, but the truth about any star is difficult to come by. He doesn’t date and he doesn’t have many friends. I wish I could give you advice about him, but I cannot. All I can say, Yibo, is remember how much you are worth. You are a treasure. Please don’t let anyone make you believe otherwise.” He hesitated, and then added gently, “It would break my heart.”</p><p>Yibo squeezed his eyes shut. “It’s difficult for me to tell my parents how I feel about them,” he whispered. “But…it’s easy for me to say it to you. I love you, Han-ge. Thank you for caring for me.”</p><p>“I love you, too, Yibao. I’ll always be here.”</p><p>~~~~~</p><p>Life went on. </p><p>Yibo grew more comfortable with his duties on EEFF every day. He began offering his opinions more often and injecting jokes that made the guests and other brothers laugh. The audience still cheered loudest when he danced, but he could feel their appreciation for his increased interactions. And the funny thing was, the more Yibo engaged, the more he felt he was revealing himself. Where before he felt the audience only loved Wang Yibo, lately he thought they might be beginning to love Yibo, too, because he was gradually allowing them to know him.</p><p>Career-wise, he was slowly rising. He picked up a skin care endorsement and one for his favorite juice. His face truly was everywhere, but he no longer viewed the ads as images of another person. His years of training had made him a good dancer, which had earned him the attention of show producers. Hosting a show had made him a household name, which had earned him advertising contracts. Wang Han was right. Everything Wang Yibo had, everything he was, was because of Yibo. That handsome face on the train station wall belonged to Yibo, and he was proud of it.</p><p>Three months later found him sitting on the sofa in the MC’s room, fiddling with a new Lego set he’d brought to work to show to some of the crew. He no longer hid the fact that he played with toys or that he was learning how to ride the skateboard. These things made him who he was and it turned out that no one thought him lesser for it. For some strange reason, it even made some crew staff like him more.</p><p>“You ever step on a piece with your bare foot?”</p><p>He looked up and froze, unable to match the smile that Xiao Zhan was giving him. It wasn’t a very nice smile, anyway. It looked more like a grimace, as though Xiao Zhan were in pain.</p><p>Or scared.</p><p>Yibo thought of what the other man had said. “I keep control of all the pieces,” he replied. “I would never step on one.”</p><p>“Lucky you. They really hurt.” Xiao Zhan laughed a little. Like his smile, it didn’t sound pleasant.</p><p>He was still painfully handsome. Still tall and slender, his clothes immaculate. But Yibo had plenty of experience seeing sadness in a pair of eyes. He saw it now in Xiao Zhan’s.</p><p>“Once upon a time,” Xiao Zhan said as he fiddled with a button on his coat, “I liked a guy. He was a student at an acting academy I attended. I adored him, but I was too shy to say anything. So I pretended in my head that we were dating. For four years we ‘dated.’ Up until the day he graduated. And then I became a star, and I never had a normal schedule—or normal friends—again.”</p><p>Yibo looked down at the Lego pieces he held. He slowly leaned forward and set them on the table. “Would you like to sit?”</p><p>Xiao Zhan took the cushion beside him. He kept space between them, but he leaned. He leaned like Yibo was magnetic, like he couldn’t help but be drawn to him.</p><p>“I’ve been in this industry since I was ten,” Xiao Zhan said as he stared at Yibo’s Lego set. “I’ve never had a boyfriend. Not a real one. But I’m Asia’s Most Handsome Man, so my life must be wonderful. Having millions of people lusting over me must mean I’m happy. That’s how it works, isn’t it?”</p><p>“Some people think so,” Yibo said carefully.</p><p>Xiao Zhan’s eyes were large and they were haunted. “It’s difficult for me to meet anyone who isn’t a fan. When I finally do find someone I like—maybe it’s because I’ve never dated but, when I like someone, I throw everything at them. I call it being obsessed, but maybe it’s more like me being pathetic. All I know how to do is offer everything at once, just drown a person in me, and hope that something in there catches their interest.” His eyes shone. “But you found nothing in me that you liked.”</p><p>Yibo looked down.</p><p>“I know what happened,” Xiao Zhan went on. “I scared you off because I don’t know how to play it cool or how to hold back. I get it. I understand completely. I should walk away.” He laughed harshly. “Believe me I’ve tried.  But I can’t. I see your face everywhere. You dance in my dreams. I’ve begun watching this show religiously, but I can’t help feeling that it’s unfair to you somehow. So I had to come here and throw everything at you again. In person this time, just in case it makes a difference...” His smile was tremulous. “Wow. Listening to myself, I can see why I’ve never had a boyfriend. Jesus.” He abruptly stood up, cheeks pale. “I’m sorry for bothering you, Yibo.”</p><p>Yibo caught his arm. “Wait.”</p><p>Xiao Zhan’s shell was handsome and bright. It reflected a million lights and could be seen from miles away. But in the end, it was still a shell. It hid just as much as Yibo’s did.</p><p>Yibo slid his hand down Xiao Zhan’s arm to his hand. He clasped it, lightly. Both of their hands were cold. </p><p>“I told you before that I wanted to take it slow.” He held Xiao Zhan’s gaze. “That still holds true.”</p><p>Xiao Zhan’s eyes went wide. “You—you do?”</p><p>Yibo nodded. “Get to know you. Let you know me. It will take time.”</p><p>“I’ve never been good at that, my schedule—” Xiao Zhan cut himself off. Resolve moved over his face. “It doesn’t matter. My schedule will never get better. There will never be a better time.” He looked down at Yibo’s hand holding his. “Turns out we can go as slow as you like. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t force this faster.” He gently rubbed his thumb across Yibo’s knuckles. “But I don’t think I want to go fast, either. I want to try letting things happen naturally.” His smile was shy. “I’ve heard that can lead to good things.”</p><p>“I don’t know.” Yibo felt heat in his cheeks. “It would be my first.”</p><p>Xiao Zhan’s mouth fell open before he composed himself. “Mine, too.” His grin was shaky, but happy. “Who would believe that two gorgeous guys like us could be such messes at love, huh?”</p><p>“Maybe we won’t be such messes for much longer,” Yibo said quietly.</p><p>He watched Xiao Zhan swallow, looking nervous. But there was a light in his eyes that Yibo couldn’t stop admiring. “I like the way you think, Wang Yibo. I can’t wait to see what else I like about you.”</p><p>“Just Yibo,” he said. “Please call me Yibo.”</p>
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